A method of manufacturing a photoelectric conversion element including a semiconductor layer includes: forming an electrode; forming an insulating layer covering the electrode; forming an opening in a region of the insulating layer overlapping the electrode in a plan view; forming a covering layer of a semiconductor material on a surface of the insulating layer; and forming the semiconductor layer by patterning the covering layer. In the forming of the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor layer is formed such that an outer circumferential edge of the semiconductor layer is located on the outside of an inner circumferential edge of the opening in the plan view.

An optical sensor, an optical examination device, and a method of detecting optical properties. The optical sensor includes an irradiation system including light irradiator to irradiate a test object with light, and a detection system to detect the light that is emitted from the irradiation system to the test object and has propagated through the test object. The light irradiator includes a multilayered structure having an active layer, and the multilayered structure includes a surface-emitting laser element and a photo-sensing element optically connected to the surface-emitting laser element. The optical examination device includes the optical sensor, and a controller to calculate optical properties of the test object based on a detection result of the optical sensor. The method includes performing optical simulation to obtain a detection light quantity distribution for an optical model and performing inverse problem estimation.

A spectroscopic sensor has plural angle limiting filters that limit incident angles of incident lights, plural light band-pass filters that transmit specific wavelengths, and plural photodiodes to which corresponding transmitted lights are input. The spectroscopic sensor is a semiconductor device in which the angle limiting filters, the light band-pass filters, and the photodiodes are integrated, and, assuming that the surface on which impurity regions for the photodiodes are formed is a front surface of a semiconductor substrate, holes for receiving lights are formed in the impurity regions from the rear surface side.

A solid-state photodetector with variable spectral response that can produce a narrow or wide response spectrum of incident light. Some embodiments include a solid-state device structure that includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode that share a common anode region. Bias voltages applied to the first photodiode and/or the second photodiode may be used to control the thicknesses of depletion regions of the photodiodes and/or a common anode region to vary the spectral response of the photodetector. Thickness of the depletion regions and/or the common anode region may be controlled based on resistance between multiple contacts of the common anode region and/or capacitance of the depletion regions. Embodiments include control circuits and methods for determining spectral characteristics of incident light using the variable spectral response photodetector.

An optical sensor in which photo currents generated by light in the visible and infrared wavelength ranges are to be tapped separately at pn junctions of active regions. The active regions include n- or p-doping and are formed in a p-substrate 52. The optical sensor comprises a surface-near first active region 12, and a second active region 14 subjacent to the first active region 12 and forming together with the first active region 12 a pn junction 22 that is short-circuited. A third active region 20 is subjacent to the second active region 14 and forming together with the second active region a further pn junction 23. Together with a fourth active region 24 subjacent to the second active region 20, a further pn junction 25, 29 is formed together with the third active region 20 and the substrate 52.

A photodetector includes a metal layer that shields incident light and generates surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), a light absorbing layer that absorbs the generated SPPs and allows charges excited by the absorbed SPPs and a localized electric field effect to tunnel, a dielectric formed at nanoholes in which at least a part of the metal layer is opened, and a semiconductor layer that induces the photocurrent based on an electric field effect of tunneled electrons. The SPPs form localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at an interface where the metal layer meets the dielectric.

A photodetector includes a metal layer that shields incident light and generates surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs), a light absorbing layer that absorbs the generated SPPs and allows charges excited by the absorbed SPPs and a localized electric field effect to tunnel, a dielectric formed at nanoholes in which at least a part of the metal layer is opened, and a semiconductor layer that induces the photocurrent based on an electric field effect of tunneled electrons. The SPPs form localized surface plasmons (LSPs) at an interface where the metal layer meets the dielectric.

In a method for fabricating a semiconductor, a first conductive pattern structure partially protruding upwardly from first insulating interlayer is formed in first insulating interlayer. A first bonding insulation layer pattern covering the protruding portion of first conductive pattern structure is formed on first insulating interlayer. A first adhesive pattern containing a polymer is formed on first bonding insulation layer pattern to fill a first recess formed on first bonding insulation layer pattern. A second bonding insulation layer pattern covering the protruding portion of second conductive pattern structure is formed on second insulating interlayer. A second adhesive pattern containing a polymer is formed on second bonding insulation layer pattern to fill a second recess formed on second bonding insulation layer pattern. The first and second adhesive patterns are melted. The first and second substrates are bonded with each other so that the conductive pattern structures contact each other.

An image sensor may include a plurality of pixels that each contain a photodiode. The pixels may include deep photodiodes for near infrared applications. The photodiodes may be formed by growing doped epitaxial silicon in trenches formed in a substrate. The doped epitaxial silicon may be doped with phosphorus or arsenic. The pixel may include additional n-wells formed by implanting ions in the substrate. Isolation regions formed by implanting boron ions may isolate the n-wells and doped epitaxial silicon. The doped epitaxial silicon may be formed at temperatures between 500 C. and 550 C. After forming the doped epitaxial silicon, laser annealing may be used to activate the ions. Chemical mechanical planarization may also be performed to ensure that the doped epitaxial silicon has a flat and planar surface for subsequent processing.

Photodiode structures and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a waveguide structure in a dielectric layer. The method further includes forming a Ge material in proximity to the waveguide structure in a back end of the line (BEOL) metal layer. The method further includes crystallizing the Ge material into a crystalline Ge structure by a low temperature annealing process with a metal layer in contact with the Ge material.